Tapering panel construction for foundation garments



p 2, 1952 J. LEONARD 2,608,688

E RUCTION FOR F0 NDATI Filed Oct. 31, 1951 2 SI'IEETSPSKEET l 1/ MI g I INVENTOR.

BY I .fdsefi [eouard Sept. 2, 1952 J, LEONARD 2,608,688

TAPE G A L CONSTRUCT N F R F DAT Filed 001;. 31, 1951 2 SI-lEETS-SHEET I2 INVENTOR. BY fascyait [eonqrd 7 I TORNEYS Patented Sept. 2, 1952 TAP ERING PANEL CONSTRUCTION FOB FOUNDATION GARMENTS Joseph Leonard, Allentown, Pa., assignor to Mona Lisa Foundations, Inc., a corporation of New York ; Application October 31, 1 95]., Serial No. 254,085

.1 My invention relates to improvements in foundation garments such as girdles, all-i'n-one garments and, the like.

Specifically, I have found that extraordinarily effective control of the body contour is obtained when the foundation garment is constructed with a plurality oi. tapering elastic panels inset circumferentially and horizontally on either side or thegarment. These elastic panels are formed with sides tapering symmetrically so that they become progressively narrower as they approach the front of the. garment. The panels are made of elastic material which is stretchable only along the horizontal axis of each panel and these tapered panels are placed symmetrically on either side of the front of the garment so that their respective axes of elasticityare focused tomeet adjacent the midpoint at the, front of the garment.

In constructing my foundation. garment I. provide afabric panel. at the front center of. the garment which is stretchable vertically but not horizontally. I provide a corresponding panel; or .panels at the back centerot the garment which are likewise stretchablevertically' or alternately vertically and, horizontally. Elastic. fabric panels I stretchinghorizontally are attached on. either side of the. garment to the corresponding [side edges of the top and bottom portions of the vertically stretchable. front and back panels. The ta peringelastic panelsof. my invention areinserted and attached on either. side of. the garment be tween the horizontally stretchable. panels. at. the top and. bottom and. between the vertically stretchable panels on each. side to form anintegral foundation garment with the lines of. elasticity of. the tapering elastic panels focused toward the area immediately adjacent the-midpoint at the front of. the garment.

With. this type, of construction. I have found that when the garment is. adjusted. on. the body a. plurality of. tensions are. setup withinthe foundationgarment with, theresult that. the narrow.- ing portion ofithetapering; elastic. panels tends. to pull the abdomen in along lines which diverge at the. same. time that. the widening portion of the 4 having the elastic thread in these fabric panels made with substantially greater elastic tension.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 is a rear elevation showing a foundation 4 Claims.

garment. embodying my invention in which the tapering; elastic. panels extend circumferentially around the garment from the back to the front separated by front and back vertically stretchable panels; Fig. 3 is a front elevation and Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of a different embodiment of my invention showing a foundation garment where the tapering elastic panels are inset at the front of the garment and do not extend as far back as the corresponding members in Fig. 1

and- Fig..2.

In the drawing the double arrows indicate the direction along which the material is stretchable.

The foundation. garment in consists of. front panel 12' which is stretchable vertically as'indicated. by the directional arrow in the drawingv and the rear panel. I4 is likewise stretchable vertically. The horizontally stretchable side panels [6 and [8 are. shownat. the top of the garment. Corresponding horizontally stretchable side panels 20? and 22 are shownat: the bottom of the-garment to. The tapering elastic panels 24.

2:6 and28 are. shown at one sideof the garment l0 and corresponding tapering panels 30. 32 and 34, are: attached at. the other side of. the garment. Fig. .1 shows diagrammatically the axis; of; elasticity of: each tapering panel, tending to meet at. the'midpoint at the front. of the garment. In

Fig. 2? these same axes are shown tending. to'diverge attherear ofthe garment;

The taperingtelastic panels 24, 26, 28, and 30, 32 and; 34 Figl and Fig; 2- extend without interruption from the sides of the front center panel [2 to the sides of the back panel 14.

l Inthe type of structure shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 the tapering elastic panels 36, 3-8, 40, and 42, 44, and 46- do not extend entirely around to the back of the garment but are shorter and alternately'iistretchable horizontally and; verti- Conventional zipper members arersh own at Thetapering. panelfmembers: in my foundation garment may be attached-Ute each other by fagoting along the seams, by zigzag stitching, or by a trimming'seam or the like. In any case, these panel members should be joined together up: along converging lines.

3 Without binding or restricting the stretchability of thepanel members.

I have described and shown preferred embodiments of my invention but it is apparent that my invention need not be restricted to 3. In a foundation garment having a plurality of fabricpanels joined-together circumferentially to form" an integral" garment the, combination these specific embodiments and that changes 7 in detail and in methods ofassembly may-be made without altering the basic structure of i my invention.

What I claim is: r

1. In a foundation garment having a plurality of fabric panels joined together circumferentially to form an integral garment the combination comprising: a front fabric panel, a back fabric panel, elastic fabric panels attached to side edges of the top and bottom portions of the front and back panels'on'each side of the garment, said elastic panels being stretchable horizontally but not vertically and being affixed to the garment so. that tapered elastic panels may be interposed in'the garmentbetvv'een the aforesaid top and bottom horizontally stretching fabricv panels, a plurality of tapered elasticfabric panels joined together along their contiguous edges and attached at their free edges to the sides of the front and back panels and to inner edges of the horizontally stretchable elastic panels connecting the front and back panels, each "such fabric panel-being tapered symmetrically and being stretchable along a single line of elasticity and only in a direction along the axis of each such taper, such fabric panels being attached to the garment so that the axis of :each fabricpanel tends to meet the axes of the other tapered fabric panels at a point adjacent the front midpoint of the garment forming' thereby a'foundationgarment capable of pulling the abdomen of the wearer in along diver'g'ii'i'g lines of uniform tension at the same time'that the garment tends to 'pull the buttocks :2. In a founda'tion garment having a plurality of fabric panels'joined together circumferentially *to form ail-integral garment the combination comprising:- a front .fabricpaneL a-back fabric L panel, both panels being formed Ofelasti'c material stretchable inthegarment vertically but not horizontally, elastic fabricpanels attached .toside edges of the topland bottom portions of the front and back panels, on each;side of F the garment, said elastic panels being stretchable horizontally but not vertically and-being affixed to the garment so that tapered elastic panels may be'interposed in the garment between the aforesaid top and bottomhorizontally stretching fabric panels, a plurality of tapered elastic fabric panels joined together and attached at their freeedges to the sides of the front and back members and to inner edges of the horizontally stretchable elastic panels. connecting the front and back panels, each such fabric panel being tapered symmetrically'and bein stretchable along a single line of elasticity and only inla direction along the axis of each such taper, such 1 fabric panels being attached to. the garment so that the axis of each fabric panel tends to meet the axes of the other tapered fabric panels at a pointadjacent the front midpoint of thegar: ment forming thereby a foundation garment capable of pulling the abdomen of the wearer in along diverging lines of uniform tensionat the same time thatthe'garment tends to pull the buttocks up along converging lines. 4

comprising: a front fabric panel, a back fabric panel, both panels being formed of elastic mate- 'rial stretchable in the garment vertically but n'ot horizoritally, elastic fabric panels attached toside edges of the top and bottom portions of the front and back panels on each side of thegarment, said elastic panels being stretchable horizontally but not vertically and being afiixed to the garment so that tapered elastic panels may be interposed in the garment between the aforesaid top and bottom horizontally stretching fabric panels, a plurality of tapered fabric panels joined together and attached at their free edges to the sidesof the front and back panels and to inner edges of the horizontallystretchable elastic panels connecting the front and back panels, each such fabric panelbeing tapered symmetrically and being stretchable along a single line of elasticity and only. in a direction along the axis of each such taper such' fabric .panels being attached to the garment so that 'side edgesjof the top and bottom portions of the front andside panels oneach side. of the garment, saidelastic panels being stretchable horizontally but not vertically and being affixe'd 40 may be interposed in thjegarmenjt between the said top and bottom horizontally stretching to] the garment so that tapered elastic panels Y panels, a plurality of tapered elastic fabric panels .fileof this patent:

joined together along their contiguous edges and attached at their free edges to the'sides of the front and side panel members and to inner edges of the horizontally stretchable elastic panels connecting the front and side panels,

each such fabric panel being tapered symmetri- 'cally'and being stretchable along a single line of elasticity and only. in a direction .along'the axisof each such taper, such fabric panels being attached to the garment .so that the axis of each fabric panel tends to meet/the axes of the other tapered fabricpanels at a point adjacent the front midpoint ofthefgarment forming thereby a foundation garment "capable of pulling the abdomen of'the wearer in along diverging lines of uniform tension.

, 7 (JOSEPH LEO A D; i REFERENCES CITED The following references are of'record inthe UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 1 name Date i' 2,137,182, Robbins; Nov. 15, 1938 2,2s3,o91f Robbins May 12, 1942 2;3 2 3,7171 ,Lewis July 6, 1943 2,338,193, McMichael Jan.' 4,1944

2,384,806 Berdach Sept. 18,1945 

